Kolkata: Heaping lavish praise on his party leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali said on Friday that she deserves to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian order.

Ali minced no words while describing Mamata and her achievements, going to the extent of calling her an unparalleled lady. "She is a symbol of national integration, a symbol of harmony and development. I think she should be awarded the Bharat Ratna. She is an unparalleled lady," he told news agency ANI.

This is not the first time that TMC leaders have compared Mamata to the stars and the moon. A number of party officials have time and again praised the TMC chief for 'standing up for what is right.'

Expected to play a key role in how and if opposition unites against BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections next year, Mamata has also been slammed in equal measure by political opponents. BJP chief Amit Shah has repeatedly targeted her for inciting political violence in the state of West Bengal and blocking progress and development in the state. He has said her governance is even worse than that of the Leftists whom she had replaced. Even PM Narendra Modi took on Mamata in her own bastion and called voters in the state to reject TMC.